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cici1722's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written but very heavy. As someone who recently suffered loss and is on a grief journey I appreciated her story/perspective. On several occasions I found myself ugly crying at her words, I also found it oddly comforting.
astrireads's review against another edition
5.0
"From Scratch" by Tembi Locke is an emotional journey that resonates deeply. Although watching the show beforehand may have lessened my emotional connection with the memoir, Tembi's vivid recollection of life, love, and resilience is truly captivating. She skillfully navigates the complexities of grief, mending shattered pieces while carrying the burdens of her own, her daughter's, and her mother-in-law's sorrow. If you've struggled with grief, this book will tug at your heartstrings. I highly recommend reading it before watching the show; Tembi Locke's storytelling capabilities makes it one of the most engaging memoirs I've come across.
nordstina's review against another edition
3.0
From Scratch is Tembi Locke's memoir of her relationships with Saro, a chef she meets while studying abroad in Italy, them falling in love, his death from cancer, and the aftermath of her grief. She really focuses the book primarily on the aftermath of his death and her journeys back to spent time with his mother in Sicily every summer with Tembi and Saro's young daughter. The timeline of this memoir is what challenged me. We know from the beginning that Saro dies, and the book begins with them meeting in Italy. The book pivots immediately then to his death, and much of the rest is about the grief process. I feel like as a reader, we never spent enough time with them as a couple for me to feel very invested in her story. They were married for many years and had a daughter but little time was spent in the marriage building the relationship up for me to understand the specifics on how she was feeling.
threegoodrats's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful story of food, travel, love, and grief. I'm not familiar with Tembi Locke's work as an actor, but she is clearly a gifted writer. Back and forth narration is overused, but works well here. She begins by telling us about her husband's death before going back and showing us how they met and fell in love, which avoids making it a dramatic surprise. That's not what this book is about. We can see how terrible his death was for her, but the focus here is how she went on afterward. Most of the book is set in Sicily where Saro's family is from, and Locke paints a vivid picture of his small town, family, and the delicious food his mother prepares.
cosy_aims's review against another edition
5.0
Such a beautiful story told with exquisite detail. It made me want to travel more and love harder. Life is short!
arcoirisdesign's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Book Summary
Grief. Loss. And finding your way after that happens.
Saro has cancer and dies. And Tembi is devastated. She has to find a way to move on after that happens. For her adopted daughter. For herself.
Finding a way to connect with family, when they don’t necessarily want to. Finding a way to get past each other’s differences to become good people. Finding your place in the world, even in the oddest places.
How I Discovered It
Reese Witherspoon’s publishing company
Who Should Read It
Anyone who loves food. Anyone who has dealt with grief, but has the space to not be too deep in it.
Thoughts & Impressions
I LOVE the way it’s written. I also love all the stories of food. The unstructured structure was great. It makes me want to write my book that way in the future. I also didn’t realize that it’s a memoir.
What I Liked About It
Writing style. Parts about food. Long descriptive paragraphs about sadness, grief and getting through it.
What I Didn’t Like About It
That Saro died. The story itself was sad—but in a beautiful way.
How the Book Changed Me
I have found another person who has felt the depth of sadness that I feel through my own experiences. It’s comforting in a weird way.
thechanelmuse's review against another edition
4.0
“Pain is part of life. That much I knew. If I could just teach her how to be resilient, how to love big, how to fear less. How to weather hurt, either at the hands of others or even the hurts she might unknowingly inflict on herself. I wanted her to know that love can come in many forms. That sometimes it can look like letting go, but it can also look like never letting go. That one day she might have to love someone in ways the world wasn’t ready for. That reaching for that kind of love would bring with it struggle, but in the end, it could be grander than her wildest imaginings.”
This is a tender, beautifully written travel memoir/meditation on love, loss, resilience and cultures by Black American actress Tembi Locke, who goes through the stages of healing, trying to make sense of life in the aftermath of her Sicilian husband’s (Saro Gullo) demise. Part one gripped me by the heartstrings so tightly. The rest of the book jumps around a bit and I actually like how intentional it is because, after all, that’s what happens during grief — a rollercoaster of emotions and reflection until you gain your footing.
This is a tender, beautifully written travel memoir/meditation on love, loss, resilience and cultures by Black American actress Tembi Locke, who goes through the stages of healing, trying to make sense of life in the aftermath of her Sicilian husband’s (Saro Gullo) demise. Part one gripped me by the heartstrings so tightly. The rest of the book jumps around a bit and I actually like how intentional it is because, after all, that’s what happens during grief — a rollercoaster of emotions and reflection until you gain your footing.